Lee Burkhill Husband: What We Know

Lee Burkhill is a name many gardening and TV fans will recognize from BBC’s Garden Rescue and from his online persona, the Garden Ninja. But beyond his flourishing career in horticulture, there has long been curiosity and some mystery surrounding his personal life — in particular, his relationship status and the identity of his husband. In this post, I’ve gathered all available public information, statements, and context about Lee Burkhill’s husband, as well as reflections on how Lee navigates privacy, identity, and public presence.

Who Is Lee Burkhill?

Before diving into his personal life, let’s recap who Lee Burkhill is and how he became a celebrated figure in the gardening world:

• Lee Burkhill is a garden designer, horticulture expert, blogger, YouTuber, and TV presenter. Horticulture Magazine+2Garden Media Guild+2
• He is popularly known as the Garden Ninja, a brand and persona under which he shares design projects, plant guidance, and behind-the-scenes content. Horticulture Magazine+2Gardeners Unearthed+2
• Before making the switch to gardening full time, Lee worked in IT for over a decade. Sitting Spiritually+3HELLO!+3Horticulture Magazine+3
• He officially joined Garden Rescue as a new presenter around 2021 (Series 6) and has since become one of the recurring faces on the show. HELLO!+2Horticulture Magazine+2
• Over the years, he has earned recognition and awards within the gardening and design community, bolstering his reputation both on screen and off. HELLO!+4Horticulture Magazine+4Garden Media Guild+4

Given this background, it’s understandable that fans and viewers are curious about Lee’s life beyond his gardening passion.

What Is Publicly Known About Lee Burkhill’s Husband

The subject of Lee Burkhill’s husband has been handled with a careful balance of openness and privacy. Because Lee has not made many explicit public statements about his husband’s identity, much of what is known comes from interviews, social media clues, and respectful speculation. Here’s what can be reliably reported:

1. Lee Has Confirmed He Has a Husband (but not fully named publicly)

• In interviews, Lee has referred to “my husband” in a way that acknowledges his partner openly, but he has not always named him or shared extensive personal details. HELLO!+3HELLO!+3Horticulture Magazine+3
• In Hello! magazine, it’s noted that although several publications report he is married, Lee has neither fully confirmed nor denied these details in highly personal terms. HELLO!+2HELLO!+2
• In Hello! also they mention that on his Instagram, Lee often showcases his dogs and garden life, but he rarely shares private relationship details. HELLO!

Because of this, we don’t have an authoritative, fully confirmed public record of his husband’s full identity or background.

2. The Husband’s Role in Lee’s Career Journey

While the husband may not be fully named publicly, there is a strong, documented narrative of his influence in Lee’s life—particularly during a moment of transition:

• In a 2022 interview with Sitting Spiritually, Lee revealed that during a challenging time in his IT career, it was his husband who “sowed the seed” of change, encouraging him to pursue what he truly loved: garden design. HELLO!+2HELLO!+2
• Lee said: “My husband sowed the seed about making a career change in garden design after a particularly difficult time at work. He was the spark that pushed me to take the leap and pursue my true passion.” HELLO!+1
• This framing suggests that Lee’s husband was more than just a supportive partner on the sidelines—he was an active influence in a critical turning point in Lee’s life. HELLO!+1

This narrative adds a human dimension to Lee’s career story: behind many public successes, there may have been private conversations, emotional support, and encouragement from someone deeply trusted.

3. Household and Family Life — Dogs, Home Projects, and Private Moments

While Lee tends to be discreet, small glimpses into his home life with his husband come through via media and social posts:

• Lee and his husband are known to own two border terriers, named Barry and Percy. Sitting Spiritually+3PinkNews+3HELLO!+3
• In a recent piece by Hello!, Lee shared glimpses of a project he was working on at home—a kind of “woodland hideaway” in his backyard—which he described as being done *“outside ‘work’” with his husband in mind. HELLO!
• In social media captions, Lee once wrote a post referencing his “wonderful husband” who decided to “pimp up our rusty old chickens”. This suggests that the couple share domestic life, including fun small projects. Instagram

These small windows into Lee’s personal life suggest a shared household where hobbies, projects, pets, and design run alongside each other.

4. Privacy, Ambiguity & Speculation

Because Lee has maintained a degree of privacy, there is room for ambiguity and speculation, but with care:

• Some fan and gossip publications have speculated about whether Lee is married or in a relationship, but Lee has often chosen not to confirm or deny them categorically. HELLO!+1
• Older profiles may list his marital status as “unknown” or “private.” HELLO!+1
• In Gardeners Unearthed, a less formal gardening blog, one article claims that Lee lives in Lancashire with “his husband Ryan” and their dogs. However, that level of detail is not corroborated elsewhere (i.e. I could not reliably verify “Ryan” from more authoritative sources). Gardeners Unearthed

Given that, it’s prudent to treat any name attribution that comes from secondary or informal sources as speculative unless confirmed by Lee himself or a trusted primary source.

Why the Ambiguity?

You might wonder: why isn’t Lee more transparent about his husband’s identity? There are a few plausible reasons:

1. Right to privacy
   Many public figures prefer to keep their romantic or family relationships private, to protect their partner from unwanted media attention.
2. Media sensitivity around LGBTQ+ topics
   Though cultural attitudes have progressed, disclosure of sexual orientation or relationships can still carry pressure in public media. Lee has previously spoken about being bullied as a teen for being gay. HELLO!+2Horticulture Magazine+2
3. Personal boundaries
   Lee may wish to separate his public persona (the Garden Ninja, gardener, TV personality) from his private life.
4. Media speculation vs fact
   When tabloids or lesser-known outlets publish speculative or speculative claims (e.g. “Lee is married to so-and-so”), the risk of false or incomplete information is high. Lee may prefer to avoid fueling unfounded rumors.

Because of those considerations, the public narrative around Lee’s husband remains respectful of Lee’s own boundaries.

Broader Context: Lee’s Journey, Identity & Openness

Understanding the limited public information about Lee’s husband is enriched by looking at Lee’s own views, identity, and how he handles being in the public eye.

On identity, adversity & advocacy

• Lee has shared that he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 16, a diagnosis he said threw “my social life and school studies into chaos.” Diabetes UK
• He has also addressed (in public posts) being bullied for being gay as a teenager. For instance, in 2019 he tweeted: “Starting to appreciate a microdose of what trans people must endure … Reminds me of being bullied as a teen for being gay.” HELLO!+2Horticulture Magazine+2
• In 2025, PinkNews described Lee as a vocal trans ally, noting he publicly shows support for the LGBTQ+ community. PinkNews
• Lee is cautious about oversharing, yet he does share glimpses of life and philosophy, giving fans space to admire both the public and personal versions of him.

How privacy and public life interplay

Lee exemplifies a balancing act many public figures face: being accessible enough to fans, while holding sacred parts of one’s life in reserve.

• He does share glimpses of day-to-day life: garden projects, travel outings, pets, design progress. Horticulture Magazine+2HELLO!+2
• But when it comes to intimate relationship details, he draws a boundary.
• This boundary means that while we can be inspired by Lee’s journey, we respect that not all questions about his life will be answered publicly.

What We Don’t Know (Yet)

Because Lee has withheld explicit confirmation for many personal details, here are things that still remain uncertain:

• The full legal name of his husband
• His husband’s personal history, profession, or background
• When they met, how long they’ve been together
• Details such as whether they are formally married (civil partnership, wedding) or cohabiting
• Photos or media where his husband is clearly featured (publicly)

Until Lee speaks about these more openly, we must rely on the information he allows us to see.

Why It Matters (and What We Can Appreciate)

Even though we lack full details, there are a few reasons why this subject attracts interest — and why it’s worthwhile to look at it respectfully.

1. Representation & visibility
   For audiences who look to public figures as role models, knowing that a talented gardener and media presence like Lee is married to a same-sex partner can mean a lot. It normalizes LGBTQ+ relationships in spaces (gardening, TV) where perhaps it has been less visible.
2. Support systems behind success
   Learning that Lee’s husband played a pivotal role in encouraging him to change careers reminds us that even public success often has private foundations—emotional support, belief from a loved one, encouragement during hard times.
3. Privacy as a choice
   Lee’s approach shows that even public personas can choose boundaries. It’s a reminder that being a public figure doesn’t obligate one to share everything.
4. Inspiration, not intrusion
   Readers and fans can be curious; that curiosity is natural. But respect for personal boundaries is equally important.

Possible Speculations — With Caution

One piece of information that appears in less authoritative sources is that Lee’s husband is named Ryan. The Gardeners Unearthed blog (which is more informal than mainstream media) states:

“Lee and his husband Ryan all live in Lancashire … In 2023 a new pup Border Terrier called Percy joined the family.” Gardeners Unearthed

However, I must stress that no high-credibility mainstream source (e.g. Hello!, BBC, official interview) confirms that name. So while this is interesting to note, we should treat it as speculative until further confirmation.

Another speculative but plausible detail is that the husband might have had a professional or emotional role in Lee’s life journey before he entered garden design. The narrative that his husband “sowed the seed” is strong, but it doesn’t tell us what the husband’s job was, or whether they shared any professional interests.

What Could the Future Hold?

As Lee continues his career and perhaps grows more comfortable with public disclosure, we might see:

• A more detailed acknowledgment (or even interview) about his husband’s identity
• Occasional joint appearances in media or lifestyle pieces
• More glimpses of shared life: travel, projects, home interiors
• Or he may choose to maintain the boundary as things evolve — which is his right.

For now, fans appreciating Lee’s work can do so while respecting his privacy. That duality—appreciation without intrusion—is a healthy balance in modern celebrity culture.

Conclusion

The simple answer to the question “Who is Lee Burkhill’s husband?” is: We know he exists, and we know he has played an important, quietly public role in Lee’s life, particularly as a source of motivation during career changes. But we don’t (yet) have a fully confirmed public record of his name, background, or personal story.